3:47:12, Amen!

Where Am I??? Marathon Position Predictor

If you can hold a steady pace, you can use this handy Excel tool to try and figure out where you will be, and at what time on your next run. I'm using it to help my fan-club (insert smiley) locate me on the Ottawa Marathon Course.

Download the Excel file here

Victoria Day Chase

Despite, my buddy Hal Higdon's advice, I let it rip today. "Cross-train or rest, preferably the latter." was Hal's advice for today. Well, I let it rip .. at least for the first 300 meters and then I realised I was going to overheat. So I tried to keep it in check. It was tradition after-all: the Club's 2nd Annual Victoria Day Chase. Yet again, I channeled Phil "the Thrill" for a 5K jaunt in the park.

Final time 22:25 (13 seconds faster than last year!): 4:07, 4:24, 4:27, 4:50, 4:35.

Not bad considering... maybe after the marathon, I'll work to get 5K down under 21 again. (and put an end to all the smack-talk Whitlock's been spouting).

Itching to Go

Week 16 of 18 is in the books. Saturday was a 6K "pace" run. I couldn't control myself, it was too difficult to stay on pace, I was 20 to 30 seconds /km too fast. I loved it. Sunday was supposed to be 19, I upped it to 20, on a challenging hill run up and down Tyotown Road. I felt awesome afterwards. Normally, I'd be cooked for the rest of the day, but I was just fine. Right now, I honestly feel as good as I'm ever going to get. I wish I could run the Marathon tomorrow. Week 17 and 18 are "taper" weeks. Long run is only 13 on Sunday.

And in other news...
Operation Prohibition has been downgraded to Operation Moderation. Who was I kidding?

Mark Wigmore... my new best friend

Ottawa Pace Bunny Line-up.

Operation: Prohibition

We're on the home stretch. 18 days to go. The run training has been pretty good. Time to get serious about cutting out the crap. 163.8 lbs this morning -- not bad considering I've been eating like a pig and drinking like a fish.

From this moment on: No more junk food, no more beer, no more wine, no coffee, no pop. If I can take it down to under 160, that's that much less chub I'll be dragging around the National Capital area for 42.2 km.

32 KM, in the Bank

It was probably the single-most thoughtful Mother's Day present a husband could give a wife. 3 and a half hours of uninterrupted, quality time with her two beautiful children. ...well at least I tried to convince myself that while I was out running my LAST long run of the marathon training plan.

The plan called for 32, but I was planning on doing 36. Based on the 100 pieces of feedback, every experienced marathoner I knew had given me. Until, Saturday morning; when chatting with Cornwall's fastest Marathon Couple. "36!? Who told you that? I've never done more than 32 in training". Good enough for them... Good enough for me! And so 32 was the mark.

And just as well too. I ended up spraining a calf muscle at 16K. I hobbled most of the rest of the way home, wondering if I was doing irreparable damage. I mis-judged my loop, and I was "only" going to get 30K back to home. Do I cut my losses and call it a day at 30K, or do I stretch it to 32? Of course, I stretched it. This was supposed to be the Longest Run Ever. At one point, I was hurting so bad, that I was convinced the marathon wouldn't happen, so I pondered just adding another 10.2 to give me 42.2, just so I could be done with it.

I limped in at 3:17 with a tough 32K in the bank, and iced down the sprain.

A day later, I'm pretty much ok. Amazing what an Ice-pack and a hot shower will do. Only 19K next Sunday. I'll take it easy this week.

Footnote: Gu Chomps are much easier to eat at 6:00 pace vs 4:45. Gu Tri-Berry Gel: not bad.

Children's Treatment Centre 5K/10K Run

This photo doesn't do justice to how terrible the weather really was

Cool, rainy and breezy? Nope: Cold, torrential downpour and gusting winds. Who on earth would want to run a race in conditions like that? To my surprise, 77 people turned up for my debut as a race director.

The race itself (over in minutes) was the culmination of months worth of preparation: meetings, emails, phone calls, budget deliberations, hard decisions, measuring, remeasuring, remeasuring, remeasuring and measuring yet again.

Despite a few game-day changes on account of the weather, it all seemed to pay off and the race continued without any visible hitches.

Visit the official Children's Treatment Centre Run website for details and results.

The thing that made me happiest, was that most people didn't seem to mind. Once they got over the fact that they were wet, most everyone told me the run was quite enjoyable. A lot of people managed to set PBs too. Go figure.

A Legend in my own Mind. Sea Lions Duathlon Race Report.

Too chicken to dive off the platform

Last week I swam as much in 7 days, than I had in the previous three months. A measly 2000 meters. I was signed up for the Cornwall Sea Lions duathlon: 800 meters of swimming plus 8 K of running. Swimming had taken a back-burner to Marathon training. Despite poor performance in practice, I wasn't feeling too bad about the swim; this was supposed to be just a fun event.

We'd been at the swim meet all morning, watching Guylaine take 1st place in age-group for all her events (no one needs to know how many other W40-44 there were). Heats were rolling by fast and furious. Time to swim: Flashbacks to the last time I did this event, losing my goggles on the dive-in. I asked Liz the starter, "can I start in the water". "No Way- you gotta dive in". ~~ crap ~~

So I lined up with all the other swimmers - Whistle ... "Swimmers, take your mark" ... "BOOM"

It was a perfect dive. I didn't lose my goggles this time. BUT: they did fill 92% with water... oh, and I lost my bathing suit. Okay, it didn't actually come off, but somehow, I was able to reach back and hike-it back up my half-exposed butt, and tuck myself in without anyone else noticing.

And now, I'm swimming. And swimming pretty good. The first wall fast approaches, somehow, I've recovered from an almost ward-robe malfunction and made the firm decision, that I'm not going to stop and empty my goggles... *flip*. etc. etc. etc.

My first four laps were top-shelf. In my mind's eye, I was putting on a clinic. I could hear the voice-over track to the swimming 101 video I was making, "...and this folks is exactly how to swim... watch the perfect breathing pattern.... 1-2-3 breath... beautiful... and that folks, is a perfectly executed flip turn... this guy is on fire... "

But then, as it so often does, it fell to crap. After about lap 5, I was dead. "Geepers, why did I sign up for 800. 400 would have been so much better. Oh crap, not enough energy to flip. *weak touch-and-go* ... ok, I'll flip next turn... (next turn) *semi-pathetic flip where I only just manage to touch the wall, but get zero push-off effect* ... oh, god... how many laps have I done?? ...why is everyone staring at me and laughing..?"

And then, finally, I'm put out of my misery. I hear the bell - my last lap. I put on the jets.... 14:44 (whee! I had hoped to be sub-14:59).

Now for the easy part... a measly 8K run. This wasn't a triathlon-type transition race. There was a break between events. Time to catch my breath, dry off, change, and take a 20 minutes to chill. As we gathered outside, I noticed something for the first time this year: Heat and Humidity. This was going to be interesting.

The run was actually quite painful. The heat was not agreeing with me. Somehow, I was running a hair under 5 minute pace, and I was dying. The only thing keeping me alive was Rik. He basically pulled me through the whole course, and he wouldn't let me give up. What a nice guy.

Finally the last 50 meters, and Laura was there to meet me. She started running beside me. What a beautiful picture: father and daughter crossing the line together. Go ahead, I urged Rik, as Laura and I jogged in together...

... but then, with the finish line in sight, a most powerful and evil force over came me... with 10 feet to go, my mind and body were hijacked by the dark side of the force. I dropped the hammer... and I out sprinted the nicest guy in Cornwall... the guy who towed me around the entire run, thereby taking all the glory afforded to the 5th place overall finisher in the run.

I guess I still harbour some bitterness from my duel with Ed Whitlock. Take notice old men... Phil Barnes will hunt you down!

Final Time = 14:44 Swim + 39:41 Run = 54:25. Official results weren't posted, but I'm sure that's a top-10 finish.

Pineapple Roctane

I'm starting to accept the fact that Goos and Gels are going to help me along the way in my Marathon. In 6 years of "multisporting", I've only ever consumed 6 and a half "gels" in total. 4 were bloody awful, 1 was so-so (Apple-Cinnamon Car Boom), but my sixth... actually, not bad at all: Gu Pineapple Roctane.

It was during a hilly 20K run on Saturday, that I "ripped-it" at the 10K mark. Sure enough, it tasted not too bad. I think I actually felt the benefits of it, as I was able to run a steady pace for the remainder of the run.

I've been on a big pineapple kick lately, my thirst for pineapple is somewhat insatiable. I bought 3 of these such Gu-s a few weeks ago. At the risk of never being able to stomach pineapple again, I think I'll bring the remaining 2 of them on the marathon with me.